Tamperproof cover for valves



Feb. 25, 1941. A. E. BELLOCCHI 2,232,764

TAMPERPROOF COVER FOR VALVES Filed Oct. 50, 1939 INVENTOR. A..E..BeZZocchi BYQ mm;

A TTORNEY I Patented Feb. 25, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,232,764 TAMPERPROOF oovER FOR VALVES Andro E. Bellocchi, Kingsburg, Calif.

Application October 30, 1939, Serial No. 302,006

7 Claims.

This invention relates in general to a valve cover, and in particular the invention is directed to a tamperproof cover for the type of vacuum relief or safety valves which are commonly used 5 on stills in distilleries manufacturing alcohol and alcoholic beverages.

As the operation of stills for the production of alcohol, etc., and the amount of alcohol manufactured is subject to strict governmental regulation,

10 it is the practice to affix a seal to every part of the assembly which could otherwise be tampered with to effect an unauthorized removal of the liquid product after condensation, or the alcoholic vapor before condensation.

15 The standard vacuum relief valve mounted on the shell of the still is of the inwardly opening poppet type and while the'mechanism per se is sealed to the shell, it is possible to manually trip the valve from exteriorly of said shell and by 20 suitable means trap and collect the then escaping vapor.

It is therefore the principal object of this invention to provide a novel tamperproof cover for valves of thetype described so as to prevent un- 5 authorized, and promiscuous withdrawal of the vapor from the still.

A further object of the invention is to produce a simple and inexpensive device and yet one which will be exceedingly effective for the purpose 30 for which it is designed.

These objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims.

35 The figure of the drawing is a sectional elevation of the tamperproof cover as arranged with a safety valve on a still.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawing, the numeral l indicates the shell of a still; therebeing an opening therein bordered by aflange-supported collar 2 having its inner face threaded as at 3. A ported valve seat 4 is mounted over the open- 45 ing in the collar by means of a depending skirt 5 threaded into said collar; there being an annular radially projecting base flange 6 formed with the seat and adapted to abut against the outer end of the collar to limit inward threading 50 movement of said skirt. The collar 2 is fixed with shell I by any suitable means such as welding.

A spider l is formed in the port and slidably supports a valve stem 8. A disc valve 9 is fixed 55 on the lower or inner end of stem 8 and such to gain access to the safety valve mechanism valve closes upward against seat 4; the valve normally being urged toward the seat by means of a helical compression spring l surrounding the stem 8 between spider l and a nut ll threaded on the upper or outer end of said stem.

The collar 2, and valve seat 4, are secured against removal from shell I by means of conventional seats Which include wires [2 leading through holes I3 in the collar and seat and an eye l4 fixed on the shell; the ends of thewires 10 being tied together in seal cups IS.

The above arrangement is substantially that which is now in use. However, and as is obvious, unauthorized removal of vapor from the still can be accomplished by merely manually depressing the valve stem and trapping the escaping vapor; the seal thus being of no material effect.

To prevent the above, I provide a tamperproof valve cover which is constructed as follows:

A cylindrical housing l6, initially open at the bottom but closed at the top, is disposed over the valve stem and has a threaded lower end l7, screwed into an upstanding annular skirt l8 formed with seat 4 adjacent its periphery. This housing prevents access to the valve mechanism,

and the housing is sealed against removal by a wire l9, extending through eyes 20 and 2| on the housing and valve seat respectively; the ends of the wire being connected in a seal cup 22.

Entry of air into the housing is accomplished through the medium of a plurality of vertical rows of holes 23 spaced circumferentially of said house ing. To prevent tampering with the valve stem by means of an instrument placed through one of holes 23, each row of holes iscovered on the interior by a channel member or bafile 24 having a plurality of air feed slots 25' disposed on an upward slope from within the channels. The above assembly makes it impossible for anyone In order to assure proper operation of the valve mechanism it may be lubricated in the following manner. An oil feed pipe 26 is fitted through a suitable coupling 21 on the side of housing I6; 45,

one end portion of the pipe projecting horizontally into said housing and having an upwardly opening discharge'lip 28 positioned adjacent but clear of valve stem 8. Outwardly of the coupling, the pipe isbent as a loop 29 and the outer end portion disposed vertical to support an oil cup 30. Oil from lip 28 drips into an upwardly flaring funnel or reservoir 3| which is mounted on spider I about stem 8 and spring l0 and delivers the oil to said stem. A seal 32 of the type previously described connects between the neck of the oil cup and the removable portion of coupling 21.

My tamperproof cover for the safety valves of stills is thus a positive means to prevent illegal withdrawal of vapor from the still and yet does not interfere with normal functioning and lubrication of the enclosed valve.

It is to be understood that while I have here shown and described a threaded connection between the housing and the valve-seat base, it is obvious that any mechanical equivalent of this arrangement, such as a flange connection between the housing and base flange 6, may be employed instead if desired or found more suitable.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that I have produced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A tamperproof cover for a safety valve on a still, said valve including an initially accessible port and operating element; said cover comprising a housing adapted to enclose said port and element, the housing having a plurality of air feed openings therethrough and a baflle within the housing arranged to prevent manual access to said port and element through said openings, said baflie having air passages therethrough inclined from adjacent said openings in a direction away from said port, the housing being adapted to be sealed against removal from said valve.

2. A tamperproof cover for a safety valve on a still, said valve including an initially accessible port and operating element; said cover comprising a housing adapted to enclose said port and element, the housing having a row of air feed openings therethrough, a channel mounted in said housing in register with said row of openings, and means to feed air from said channel into said housing while preventing manual access to said port and element through said openings, the housing being adapted to be sealed against removal from said valve; said means comprising a plurality of slot-like passages in said channel inclined from adjacent said openings in a direction away from said port.

3. A tamperproof cover for a safety valve on a still, said valve including an initially accessible port and upstanding operating element; said cover comprising a vertically disposed housing adapted to enclose said port and element, the housing having a vertical row of air feed openings therethrough, and a channel mounted in said housing in register with said row of openings, said channel having a plurality of air feed apertures cut therethrough at an upward slope from within the channel, the housing being adapted to be sealed against removal from said valve.

4. A tamperproof cover for a safety valve on a still, said valve including an initially accessible port and operating element; said cover comprising a housing adapted to enclose said port and operating element, the housing having an air feed opening therethrough, and a baflle member mounted in the housing in spaced relation from said opening and between the latter and said operating element, said baffle member being arranged to prevent a tampering element projected through said opening from engaging said valve operating element, the housing being adapted to be sealed against removal from said valve.

5. A tamperproof cover for a safety valve on a still, said valve including an initially accessible port and operating element, said operating element being movable inwardly to open the valve; said cover comprising a housing adapted to enclose said port and operating element, the housing having a plurality of air feed openings therethrough, and a baflle member mounted in the housing in spaced relation from said opening and between the latter and said operating element, said baffle member having a plurality of air feed passages therethrough at an outward slope relative to said operating element and from the space between said housing and baffle member.

6. In combination with a safety valve on a still, said valve including an initially accessible port and a movable, vertical valve stem; a tamperproof cover including an upstanding housing enclosing the port and stem, said housing being adapted to be sealed against removal from the valve, means to feed air into the housing, and other means to feed lubricant to said stem, said first and last named means being arranged to prevent manual access to said port and stem; said last named means comprising an oil reed pipe, 9. coupling on one side of the housing through which the pipe extends, the inner end of the pipe having an upwardly opening oil discharge lip, the pipe outwardly of the coupling having a loop therein, and an oil cup on the outer end of said pipe, the pipe being adapted to be sealed against removal from the housing.

7. In combination with a safety valve on a still, said valve including an initially accessible port and a movable, vertical valve stem; a tamperproof cover including an upstanding housing enclosing the port and stem, said housing being adapted to be sealed against removal from the valve, means to feed air into the housing, and other means to feed lubricant to said stem, said first and last named means being arranged to prevent manual access to said port and stem; said last named means including a lubricant feed pipe extending through the housing and terminating at its inner end adjacent said valve stem, said inner end of the pipe being formed with an upwardly opening oil discharge lip, the pipe being adapted to be sealed against removal from the housing.

ANDRO E. BELLOCCHI. 

